Two GIs among the dead in Aurora

A sailor from Illinois was among those killed in the Batman Movie Massacre.

Any loss of life is tragic and I am still in shock that someone would do what happened in Aurora, Colo., Friday but news is that two GIs lost their lives in the incident, cluding a sailor from Illinois. From the Military Times which had the above picture:

The parents of Cryptologic Technician 3rd Class John Larimer, 27, released a statement that Navy officials notified them about midnight that their son was one of those killed. Navy officials also confirmed his death on Saturday. The family said Larimer’s brother Noel is working with the Navy to bring his body home to Crystal Lake, Ill.

Larimer joined the Navy in June 2011 and had been stationed in Aurora since October 2011, the Navy said.

There was also an airmen who died in the tragedy.

Air Force Staff Sgt. Jesse Childress, 29, a reservist and cyber systems operator, also died in the attack, DoD officials said. Childress, who was single and had no children, joined the service in January 2002, DoD said.

Both were assigned to units based at Buckley Air Force Base, Colo.

As I reported yesterday, the DOD has indicated the main suspect, James Holmes, has never served in the military.

John Larimer, 27, was described as "an awesome guy" well known for his intelligence, witty sense of humor and for being a passionate person who wasn't afraid to share his views, according to Ben Stoner, Larimer's English teacher and theater director at Crystal Lake South High School.

"I have nothing but absolutely, positive memories of John. He was a passionate kid who was a unique individual who was strong in his beliefs," said Stoner. "He was a kid who had pretty grounded values and didn't mind standing up for someone."

Author: Andy Kravetz

Andy Kravetz has spent most of the past 16 years covering the area's legal system as well as the military. in that time, he's crawled in the mud, flown in transport planes, and written about a man prosecuted for terrorism. This blog will reflect all those interests and then some.
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